Goa Khabar : AAP Goa State President Valmiki Naik and Senior Vice President Sandesh Teleikar-Dessai, along with Vice President Manuel Cardoso, South Goa Youth Wing President Neash Coutinho, AAP leaders Shyam Kolamkar and Sarfaraz Ankalgi, interacted with people at petrol pumps and garages across North and South Goa to understand the impact of the forced introduction of E20 petrol where vehicle owners and garage mechanics complained of engine-related issues and mileages drop after introduction of E20.
The leaders appealed to Goans to visit StopE20Petrol.com and sign a letter addressed to the Prime Minister demanding an end to the forced rollout of E20 petrol and reiterated AAP’s demands that consumers must be given a choice between pure petrol and E20 petrol, and that the price of E20 petrol should be reduced to reflect its lower calorific value and lower mileage.
AAP Goa State President Valmiki Naik said that during interactions with people at petrol pumps and garages across North Goa, several consumers and mechanics shared serious concerns regarding the impact of E20 petrol. One consumer showed fuel purchased from a petrol pump in Porvorim in a transparent bottle, where a visible separation between the ethanol and petrol content could be seen, with the ethanol layer appearing larger than the petrol itself.
He further stated that mechanics informed AAP leaders that water accumulation in fuel tanks has become a major issue, leading to poor vehicle pickup and corrosion of fuel tanks. Mechanics also reported a rise in complaints relating to carburettor, petrol leakage, damaged fuel pipes, damaged fuel injectors and float pin problems after the introduction of E20 petrol.
Valmiki Naik claimed that E20 petrol, containing 20 percent ethanol, has been sold across Goa for the past several months, leaving vehicle owners to face problems through no fault of their own and while vehicle owners often blame mechanics for these recurring problems, the real issue lies with the forced use of E20 petrol.
In South Goa, AAP Senior Vice President Sandesh Teleikar-Dessai interacted with vehicle owners at petrol pumps, where several consumers complained that the mileage of both two-wheelers and four-wheelers had reduced significantly after the introduction of E20 petrol. Consumers also pointed out that older models of vehicles were designed for E10 fuel and that the use of E20 petrol is resulting in increased repair and maintenance costs, putting Goans under financial burden.
Sandesh Teleikar-Dessai stated that the Government must give consumers the freedom to decide whether they wish to use pure petrol or E20 petrol instead of forcing a single fuel option upon them.
AAP leaders stated that the party has launched StopE20Petrol.com, enabling people across India to sign a letter addressed to the Prime Minister demanding an end to the forced rollout of E20 petrol. They said the Government’s unplanned and poorly implemented ethanol blending policy has forced ordinary people to bear the burden of its failed decisions.
AAP demanded that the Government immediately stop the forced rollout of E20 petrol, ensure that every petrol pump provides both pure petrol and E20 petrol so that consumers have a genuine choice, and reduce the price of E20 petrol in accordance with its lower fuel efficiency and calorific value.
